Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Glare screen or visor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-03
2001-02-20
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Glare screen or visor
C296S097100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189949
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a sun visor for vehicles and, in particular, to a sun visor having a selectively extendible blade for increasing the sun visor surface area to provide greater shade and comfort for an occupant of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sun visors are provided in vehicles, such as automobiles, to block the sun from shining directly into an occupant's eyes. The visor usually pivots about a horizontal axis and can be stored in an uppermost position above, for example, a windshield. Conventional visors have a fixed size and are generally unable to block the sun, when the sun's ray is at a certain position.
It is known to provide a sliding extender blade that slides horizontally toward a center of a windshield to provide additional sun blocking area. Further, when the visor is pivoted to the side window, coverage is extended toward the “B-Pillar.” However, previous designs have used extra parts, such as a bezel, to cover and “dress-up” the edges of the aperture through which the blade extends. In addition, because most extender blades are plastic, plastic-to-plastic contact with the bezel and/or visor body results. The plastic-to-plastic contact produces unwanted noise and an unpleasant “feel” for the user when extending and retracting an extender blade.
Another known device has a housing that attaches to a pre-existing sun visor and includes a pair of extendible panels to increase the sun blocking area of the original sun visor. One panel extends horizontally and the other panel extends vertically. A protective pad is attached to the outer surface of one panel to act as a buffer between the relatively moving panels.
However, the prior sun visors have poor appearance and poor operational “feel.” Known visors include bezels to improve the appearance, but additional parts increase cost and assembly time. Noise is another drawback of existing sun visors having extendible blades with bezels. Plastic-to-plastic contact produces noisy operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a visor for a vehicle including a main body having spaced apart first and second walls defining a hollow recess. An aperture defined by two opposing edges of the first and second walls is located adjacent at least one side of the body in communication with the hollow recess. An extender blade is slidably received in the hollow recess and extends through the aperture. A fabric layer is provided covering at least one of the opposing edges of the wall for contact with the extender blade, as the extender blade slides relative to the aperture.
The invention further includes a visor for a vehicle having a main body with spaced apart first and second walls defining a hollow recess. An aperture is defined by two opposing edges of the first and second walls and located adjacent at least one side of the body in communication with the hollow recess. An extender blade is slidably received in the hollow recess and extends through the aperture. A fabric layer is coextensive with outer surfaces of the opposing edges. In addition, the extender blade has a return lip at an outer end thereof adapted to cover the end of the fabric on one of the opposing edges when the blade is in a retracted position.
The present invention is also directed to a sun visor having a body with an aperture through which an extender blade selectively slides between fully retracted and fully extended positions. The visor body is a clamshell type having first and second shell halves. A guide rib is located on at least one of the shell halves to align and guide the movement of the extender blade into and out of the visor body. The aperture is formed by a recessed portion in at least one of the shell halves. Fabric covers the visor body and also extends over an edge, into the aperture, and covers at least part of the guide rib. Edge wrapping of fabric in the aperture area provides a stylish appearance and eliminates plastic-to-plastic contact between the blade and the visor body. In addition, covering the aperture and guide rib with fabric improves the operational “feel” when extending and retracting the extender blade.
Another embodiment of the present invention eliminates the need for a separate bezel to cover raw edges of a slot cut in the visor fabric to permit passage of an extender blade. Instead, the present invention provides a lip integrally molded to a distal end of an extender blade and designed to overlap and conceal a raw fabric edge near a slot in the fabric, when the extender blade is retracted to a stored position. The lip has a generally U-shape portion which defines an elongated groove that receives, overlaps and conceals the raw fabric edge when the extender blade is fully retracted. When the extender blade is extended, the visor is rotated to a position at which the exposed raw fabric edge is not in direct view of a vehicle occupant.
Therefore, the invention provides an improved visor having a better appearance with reduced noise. The present design eliminates extra parts, such as a bezel, thus simplifying assembly and reducing overall costs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2667222 (1954-01-01), McCarthy et al.
patent: 4264100 (1981-04-01), Keeler et al.
patent: 4810023 (1989-03-01), Kawada
patent: 5031950 (1991-07-01), Miller
patent: 5042867 (1991-08-01), Crotty, III et al.
patent: 5316361 (1994-05-01), Miller
patent: 5431473 (1995-07-01), Hiemstra
patent: 5445427 (1995-08-01), Vandagriff
patent: 5749618 (1998-05-01), Jones
patent: 5887933 (1999-03-01), Peterson
patent: 5984398 (1999-11-01), Crotty, III
Donaldson Robert W.
Fischer Douglas A.
Miller Douglas C.
Rogalske Brian J.
Serbay Michael S.
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Dayoan D. Glenn
Engle Patricia
Lear Donnelly Overhead Systems L.L.C.
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